Using source material like police reports, interviews, and court transcripts, as well as his own notes from covering the trial, Coen recreates not only the trial of mobsters Frank Calabrese, Sr., Joey “The Clown” Lombardo, James Marcello, Paul Schiro, and Anthony “Twan” Doyle, but he gives us a significant look at Nick Calabrese, Frank Sr.’s brother and Outfit hitman, whose turning states evidence gave us incredible testimony and an unprecedented look into the inner-workings of the Outfit.

The Forgotten Man (Shlaes) – she makes the case that FDR did not solve the Great Depression, he lengthened it and made it worse.

The Conspiracy to Keep You Poor and Stupid (D. Luskin) – using the word “conspiracy” might indicate overreach, but there is no doubt that very powerful interest groups — government, media, buisness, etc. — go to great lengths to keep us in the dark and even to actively obfuscate and spin half-truths in order to protect themselves and their corrupt pals.

Some others I want to check out:

Lippmann, Liberty, and the Press (J. Luskin) – no idea if it is a good book or not, but the whole debate about Walter Lippmann and his conception of journalism interests me. And ironically, I chanced to see this title when searching for D. Luskin above. What are the odds?!